Butte County June 17, 2018 – CAL FIRE/Butte County Fire Department Fire Prevention investigators have issued a citation to Tracy Hinton, age 57. Mr. Hinton is allegedly responsible for the ignition of the Oregon Fire, which blackened 40 acres of oak woodland in the area of Oregon Gulch Road near the community of Cherokee north of Oroville.
Significant resources fought the fire. 18 engine companies, eight fire crews, two dozers, four water tenders, two helicopters, five air tankers, one air attack, totaling 178 personnel were able to stop the forward spread of the fire despite having to work in steep terrain with little vehicle access.
Hinton was cited under Public Resources Code 4421, “burning lands of another without permission”, and Public Resources Code 4423.1, “burning during a burn ban”. CAL FIRE/Butte County Fire Department reminds the public that all burn permits in the unincorporated areas of Butte County were suspended on June 11, 2018.
Darren Read, Chief of CAL FIRE’s Butte Unit, says, “debris burning has been banned due to the very real risk of a fire escaping. Residents who ignore the restriction face the possibility of criminal charges.”
Conditions in Butte County are very dry and fire danger is high. For more information about fire safety, go to www.ReadyForWildfire.org or download the “Ready, Set, Go” app for mobile devices.